Contents

En route to the Jupiter A.O., The MCRN Hammurabi receives the salvaged Kittur Chennamma. Captain Sandrine Kirino and Lt. Durant are discussing current strategies about the anticipated battle at Callisto, when Ensign Sinopoli is escorted onto the Operations deck with the Captain and Lieutenant. Sinopoli breaks downs the events on how the Kittur was repaired by James Holden, so he could return and give his commanding officer Errinwright's communication with Jules-Pierre Mao, the one which compromises Errinwright and proves illegitimate the entire war at hand. Ensign Sinopoli, whose story is somewhat dubious, reasserts the best choice of action would be to hail UN Admiral Souther, who can be trusted, with this incriminating evidence. The Captain listens to the story but dismisses the determined Ensign Sinopoli.

In the Agatha King officers' mess, Souther is joined by Lt. Shaffer and Lt. Mancuso. While discussing the current situation, Lt. Mancuso expresses that a contingent of the UN Fleet, those officers Souther trained, are loyal to Souther with any decision he makes. The meeting is broken up by Lt. Boyer, whose loyalties lie with Admiral Nguyễn. Boyer explains that Nguyễn is strongly motivated by his experiences aboard the Yasijuro during the Vesta Blockade.

Later, on the Agatha King, Nguyễn sends a message to Mao, where he states that Mao and his family have their assets unfrozen. Mao releases control of the Caliban Project hybrid launch pods over to Nguyễn following this news.

Captain Sandrine Kirino has quietly forwarded the evidence she received from Ensign Sinopoli to Souther, which is received by Lieutenants Shaffer and Mancuso. They relay Errinwright's message to Souther. When Souther confirms his information through Cotyar, he is caught by Lt. Boyer and escorted to the command deck where he confronts Nguyễn imploring him to set things right. Instead, Nguyễn relieves Souther of duty. At that moment, Hammurabi comes within firing range but does not engage. Souther declares this a signal that the Martians do not want to fight. In response, Nguyễn initiates orders to engage but Souther interrupts him with charges for his role in conspiring to engage in an illegitimate war with Mars. Souther then hails MCRN and UN ships alike stating that the war was built on a lie, asking for the ships in the vicinity to back down. Souther, in the middle of announcing that he will release the evidence against the war, is shot dead by Nguyễn. The crew loyal to Nguyễn take control of the officers loyal Souther. While Nguyễn gives orders to UN ships in the area, Lt. Shaffer and Mancuso escape control of their captors, they manage to kill Lt. Boyer, but both are shot dead eventually. When Nguyễn gives orders to the fleet to change their burns, ships loyal to Souther decline to recognize those orders. Nguyễn, who is upset at ships for not following orders, fires a missile and destroys a fellow UN Ship, the Jimenez, which did not defend itself.

On the Hammurabi, Captain Sandrine Kirino decides the best decision is to not fire on any UN ships, which are firing on each at the moment. She believes firing on the UN ships who unite the UN Fleet. She announces to both fleets, that she is forming a coalition with any ship that wants peace.

On the Rocinante, the crew is making its final preparations for the extraction rescue mission on Io to save Mei. Prax does some target practice with Amos' supervision. As they approach Io, Alex answers Bobbie regarding the Rocinante crew's past tactical success against the hybrid, he insists she shouldn't fight any hybrid she sees but instead run. Regardless, Bobbie equips her power armor with caseless incendiary-tipped bullets. Alex checks the communications one last time and receives a heartfelt message from his son, Melas. When Holden and Naomi discuss why she gave the protomolecule sample to Fred Johnson, she reveals that she had a kid with a charismatic belter, who took their child away from her because she would not do what he told her to.

On Io, Katoa has been placed in an isolation chamber and is rapidly changing from the effects of the protomolecule. Jules-Pierre interrogates Katoa, trying to figure out what the protomolecule is doing. The most Jules-Pierre is able to ascertain is that the protomolecule is doing construction "work" and that it's nearly complete. During the this conversation Katoa begins to lose control of himself, so Dr. Strickland decides to lower his metabolic rate, slowing the growth of the protomolecule. After a final questioning of Katoa, results in effectively minimal further information, Jules-Pierre observes Katoa in an uncontrolled violent state, attempting to destroy his isolation chamber. Strickland says that they will no longer be able to talk to Katoa. Jules-Pierre insists the project continue. Strickland suggests Mei would be the best next subject to receive the protomolecule treatment. A terrified Mei is shown being strapped down to a medical bed with thick restraint bands, in preparation for the treatment, when the Io facility is interrupted by the descending Rocinante.

The crew of the Rocinante arrive at the front door of the Io facility. Amos begins to pop off some bolts near the door so they can try to access the facilty. From their position outside the door, the crew witnesses the arsenal of missiles filled with hybrids launch overhead from within the base.